Senegal: Milestones Year 1

Year 1 at Guede Chantier, Moundouwaye, Lahel and Diarra

The four key milestones for the first year of the project were:

building skills in sustainable village design, permaculture and agroforestry

identification of communal permaculture and agro-forestry plots

preparing the land with fencing, irrigation systems, vetiver planting and the collection of organic material to support soil regeneration

Milestone 1: Scenario Planning and Transition Training

Conducted by Transition Trainer and educator May East, a total of four community consultation and training sessions were carried out to launch the project in Lahel, Diarra, Moundouwaye and Guédé, with a session for women only.

Key outcomes included:

Identification of the impact of climate change on their lives

Comparison of food production between three-decade-old practices and modern day

Identification of the produce they aspired to cultivate within the life-time of the project and beyond

Creation of a community vision and a plan of action

A narrative of the Scenario Planning written by May East was published in The Scotsman.

Milestone 2: Permaculture Design Course

The first Permaculture Design Course was conducted in two parts, December 2014 and February 2015, for 45 villagers representing the four communities. Conducted by biologist and permaculture expert Prof Abdourahmane Tamba, the course introduced plants that have adapted to the harsh local conditions and can perform multiple ecosystem functions at the same time, such as pest control, soil improvement or provision of fodder and firewood. The introduction of vetiver grass was adopted and vegetable garden plans were created to enable their lands to withstand floods, drought and climate change. The course involved practical and design sessions reinforcing the practices of permaculture. From the PDC course villagers started to develop plots in their villages.

Milestone 3: Design for Sustainable Settlements course

Conducted by Community Development Trainer Pradyut Nayek, the Design for Sustainable Settlements course engaged 90 participants from the four villages in March 2015. The course provided climate resilient techniques for food security and livelihood development.

At the end of the 10-day capacity-building activities, participants were able to:

Milestone 4: Fencing and Land Preparation

Once the agroforestry and permaculture plots were identified and design plans were created, land preparation became a key activity of Year 1. The first steps of the process were fencing, irrigation systems, vetiver planting and collection of organic material to restore health to the poor soils, provide erosion control, aid water conservation and support crop protection.

Project Based Learning – Supporting SDGs Implementation

Gaia Education’s Project Based Learning is a dynamic learning approach in which stakeholders acquire appropriate skills and analytical tools while actively exploring real-life solutions to the challenges of designing sustainable settlements.

We work with traditional and indigenous communities in the global South to improve the way they manage their environments and villages, while addressing climate change vulnerabilities. Engaged communities benefit with more stable and fertile soil, secure supply of food, clean water and enhanced livelihoods.